Subiesport Magazine - November 2008 - (Page 18)

2009 SUBARU OF AMERICA HAS OUR BACK WRX TEST DRIVE PROOF THAT Words By Travis Geny, Photos Courtesy of Subaru and Ryan Douthit THE INTERNET IS a strange place, and by extension the automotive forum world is doubly so. Reputations and fortunes can be made or broken in this opportunistic and hostile landscape. In 2001 the electronic stage was set for the release of the new-to-the-United-States Subaru WRX. With AWD, a factory turbocharged engine and good power, a new automotive Internet subculture was born overnight. Thanks to an import enthusiast segment that was not only young and hungry for the new car, it was also plugged into the Internet in a way that few other enthusiast groups had been to date. With the runaway success of the “bugeye,” then “peanut eye” and then “hawkeye,” a huge cult of Subaru crazies was born. With the shape of Subaru enthusiasm set, that is a boxy sedan with box flairs and a rugged, razor’s edge kind of feel, it is easier to understand the Internet bitch fest that accompanied the release of the 2008 “hatchback” WRX. The new car was softer looking, softer feeling and not that much faster, with fewer go-fast options than the previous car. Immediately the Subaru forums were ablaze with angry enthusiasts demanding a redesign, letter-writing campaigns, and other ludicrous plans to force Subaru to “fix” their beloved car. Little did these Internet denizens know that the enthusiasts within Subaru were already hard at work on their own “fix.” From the moment that the product planners at Subaru of America got a feel for the 2008 WRX, they knew that the new car would not be sufficient to be called a WRX in the United States. While this fix would not make it into the 2008 WRX, the stage was once again set for the triumphant comeback of the WRX for 2009. Let’s get one thing straight right now: The new WRX is a prettier car than the older Imprezas ever were. Be honest, the old car was basically a box design with extra boxes tacked on to the fenders to make room for the wheels. The old design was so outdated that for Subaru to keep on with it would render the company essentially irrelevant. At first glance the new sedan and 5-door are a little on the bland side, but just looking at either car, especially the hatchback from any angle, reveals layers of in- 18 NOVEMBER 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Subiesport Magazine - November 2008

Subiesport Magazine - November 2008 Contents Editor Letters Readers’ Rides New Products Subaru News 2009 WRX Test Drive Back on Easy Street Brothers in Boost Treasure Island ESPN X Games 14 Subiefest 3 Subie Extravaganza WWJCD WRC Rally Finland WRC Rally Deutschland Rally America: Ojibwe Forest Rally America: Colorado Where to buy Subiesport Orange Invasion - Europe 2007 STI Intake Test Dreadnought Widebody Install p2 Ad Directory Spotted!

Subiesport Magazine - November 2008

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